Micro Engineering N scale Concrete Tie Flextrack

This fine replica of contemporary concrete tie flextrack from Micro Engineering is very close to its prototype. Concrete tie flextrack is now in regular use in the united states and most parts of Europe and Asia. The track features acetal plastic ties and either weathered or non-weathered code 55 nickel-silver rail. The This track represents pre-stressed concrete ties with the characteristic lowered center cross section.
        Interest in concrete railroad ties increased after World War II following advances in the design, quality and production of pre-stressed concrete. Concrete ties were cheaper and easier to obtain than timber and better able to carry higher axle-weights and sustain higher speeds. Their greater weight ensures improved retention of track geometry especially when installed with continuous-welded rail. Concrete sleepers have a longer service life and require less maintenance than timber due to their greater weight which helps them remain in the correct position longer. Concrete sleepers need to be installed on a well-prepared subgrade with an adequate depth on free-draining ballast to perform well. In 1877, M. Monnier, a French gardener, suggested that concrete could be used for making ties for railway track. Monnier designed a tie and obtained a patent for it, but it was not successful. Designs were further developed and the railways of Austria and Italy used the first concrete ties around the turn of the 20th century. This was closely followed by other European railways. Major progress was not achieved until World War II, when the timbers used for ties were scarce due competition from other uses, such as mines. Following research carried out on French and other European railways, the modern pre-stressed concrete tie was developed. Heavier rail sections and long welded rails were also being installed, requiring higher-quality ties. These conditions spurred the development of concrete ties in France, Germany and Britain, where the technology was perfected. On the highest categories of line in the UK (those with the highest speeds and tonnages) pre-stressed concrete sleepers are the only ones permitted by Network Rail standards. Most European railways also now use concrete bearers in switches and crossing layouts due to the longer life and lower cost of concrete bearers compared to timber, which is increasingly difficult and expensive to source in sufficient quantities and quality.-Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
        The track is in gauge and stays bent when it is bent, instead of wanting to spring back like Atlas track. The track can keep its gauge when bent very tight. There aren't any holes provided for spikes, so you must drill your own holes or glue the track down. I purchased my track un-weathered, but you can also get it weathered. If you want clean ties, then you can get it weathered and not have to get your ties all grimy.                                               
        Micro Engineering's new concrete tie track will allow modelers of the contemporary scene to keep their track as up to date as their locomotives and rolling stock. -David Cutting